Wet Ink Ensemble Announces New Monthly Journal, Wet Ink Archive

Today Wet Ink Ensemble released the first issue of its new, monthly online journal of adventurous music and conversation, the Wet Ink Archive. The mission of Wet Ink Archive parallels that of the Ensemble: sharing the body of work generated within the group, celebrating the music of longtime collaborators, and providing a platform for emerging and underrepresented artists. Each issue will include three articles ranging from personal reflection to detailed musical analysis, accompanied by newly released music and archival documentation. Sign Up to Receive the Wet Ink Archive Here.

Violinist and Executive Director Josh Modney says, "Initially conceived as a project to make Wet Ink's 20-plus years of concert documentation and studio recordings publicly available, the Wet Ink Archive has evolved into a platform for artists to share and write about their work without restrictions, and is also part of Wet Ink's response to the urgent questions currently being faced by all arts organizations: 'As live artists, how can we continue to present our programming amidst a national lockdown? And as community members, how can we continue to provide opportunities for freelance artists to work in their field?' Thanks for reading, and we look forward to continuing to share adventurous art with you in the coming months."

The first issue of Wet Ink Archive opens with Topographies of Interaction, an in-depth discussion between Wet Ink Ensemble members and composers Alex Mincek and Sam Pluta about their works featured on Wet Ink's new album, Glossolalia/Lines on Black, out today on Carrier Records, and the relationship of this music to Wet Ink's practice. The release features two extended works: Mincek's Glossolalia, inspired by the language concept of the same name but broadened to include modes of musical expression beyond linguistics, and Pluta's Lines on Black, a love letter to the members of Wet Ink Ensemble which engages the musicianship and personality of individual members or small subsets of the group. All proceeds from album sales will be donated to Wet Ink's extended network of freelance musicians. Listen and Order the Album from Carrier Records.

Wet Ink's newest band member/co-director, cellist Mariel Roberts, contributes an article about her own compositional and improvisational work, and her years of collaboration with Wet Ink Ensemble. Roberts reflects on her aesthetic interest in monolithic structures through the lens of three deeply personal works that each represent different dynamics of collaboration and authorship: Roberts' Cara II for solo cello, Sam Pluta and Roberts' binary/momentary III, and Roberts' Duo for violin and cello. The article includes the video premieres of binary/momentary III and Duo.

The April 2020 issue also includes Reflections on Building a Personal Language by NYC-based voice phenom Charmaine Lee, a piece that traces the development of her creative practice and her relationship to improvisation. The article is accompanied by video documentation spanning Lee's career, from her first solo improvised set in Brooklyn, live streamed performances aired just weeks ago from her home in isolation, and previously unreleased duo performances with Chris Goudreau and Sam Pluta.

Further spring/summer editions of Wet Ink Archive will include writing by Kate Soper, Eric Wubbels, Weston Olencki, Alice Teyssier, Ian Antonio, and more.

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